This Saturday from 9am – 12pm, all 11 Cape Coral Fire Stations will be open to the public with activities, games, and displays
This Saturday, November 6, the public is invited to visit any of Cape Coral’s 11 fire stations from 9 am – 12 pm for the opportunity to meet firefighters and learn about fire apparatus, equipment, and services. In addition, a variety of fun and educational activities and displays, many from our partner public safety agencies, will be available at each station. The locations of the stations and the activities at each are as follows:
Station 1, 4610 Coronado Parkway. The “Save a Life Station” will have Family and Friends CPR instruction, CPR Anytime Kits, and adoptable dogs from the Cape Coral Animal Shelter. OneBlood will also be onsite accepting blood donations until 2 pm.
Station 2, 521 Nicholas Parkway. The “Water Safety Station” will showcase the CCFD’s marine and dive equipment, and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary with their mascot, Coastie, will also be at this station to interact with visitors.
Station 3, 1627 Everest Parkway. The “Public Works Station” will have vehicles, such as a grapple truck and bobcat, from the City’s Public Works Department available for guests to explore.
Station 4, 2007 Santa Barbara Boulevard. The “Junior Firefighter Station” allows kids to don gear and navigate firefighter obstacles such as crawling through a smoky tunnel, using a hose, and climbing a ladder. Visitors can also meet Fire Chief Ryan Lamb.
Station 5, 1029 Diplomat Parkway. The “Wildland Safety Station” is where guests can see the CCFD’s monster brush truck and tender which are used for wildland fire suppression. There will also be off-road vehicles Florida Fish and Wildlife use for wildfire and prescribed burns.
Station 6, 4540 Chiquita Parkway. The “Vehicle Safety Station” will have vehicle extrication demonstrations, car seat checks with SafeKids, and Cape Coral Police Department (CCPD) and Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) cruisers.
Station 8, 707 SW 1st Street. The “Don’t Bug Me Station” will have a Lee County Mosquito Control District (LCMCD) helicopter and an educational insect display.
Station 9, 4107 Pelican Boulevard. The “Child Safety Station” will have an inflatable fire safety smoke house for guests to explore, face painting, and 911 for kids with CCPD Dispatch.
Station 11, 1038 Burnt Store Road. The “Lee County EMS Station” will have an ambulance and the LeeFlight helicopter for guests to tour.
Station 7, 3942 Burnt Store Road N, and Station 10, 3623 Gator Circle West, will have CCFD Open House activities.
“The annual Open House is a fun and exciting way for us to engage the community,” says Fire Chief Ryan Lamb. “Visitors have the opportunity to learn about the different aspects of the CCFD, our all-hazards response capabilities, and our commitment to the well-being of people in our community. We look forward to welcoming everyone at all of our fire stations on November 6.”
Vibe Yoga, located at 13461 Parker Commons Blvd, Suite 204 in Fort Myers, is offering kids’ yoga classes for children ages 2-6 on Fridays at 10:30 to 11 a.m. through Nov. 19.
Classes include yoga movements, calming breathwork, meditation and mindfulness.
“As a mom of four children, and two under the age of five, I understand the benefits of yoga for myself and my children,” said Lindsay Smith, founder of Vibe Yoga. “Children can experience emotional regulation, and improved self-esteem, concentration, strength and agility. Plus, it’s a lot of fun!”
The cost for participants is $20 per class, and sessions are limited to 10 children. Parents are welcome to join during the class or spend time with other adults in the Tea Room during class.
For information or to register for the sessions, visit VibeYogaSWFL.com.
Slanted – Sharyl Attkison. Author spent 35 years in broadcasting on CBS, PBS, CNN, & her Sunday morning show “Full measure with Sharyl Attkison.” She gives hundreds of examples of how TV & newspapers slant the news versus what is factual. You will recognize many stories & personalities that she uses as examples. **
Hot Shot – Jeff Immelt. Jeff was CEO Of General Electric for 16 years. He has many stories about management throughout his years at GE. This would be an excellent book for anyone to read before they are 35. It gives an inside look at how big companies actually operate, who gets promoted & why. Also gives examples of poor management styles. ***
The Killer’s Shadow – John Douglas & Mark Olshaker. John Douglas is the FBI’s original criminal profiler & taught profiling at the FBI’s training center in Quantico, VA. The main character he writes about is Joseph Paul Franklin, who is believed to have committed at least 19 murders using various names throughout the US. He writes about the many other serial killers where profiling assisted in their capture. **
We See It All – Jon Fasman. This is a detailed look at the extensive surveillance of everyone in public places. It covers the technology that is used in surveillance & how it can be used both for good & bad using many statistics from various countries & cities in the US. The author warns us of the possible abuses that could infringe on our freedoms. ***
The Secret Life of Groceries – Benjamin Lorr. This is a very informative book about supermarkets, from Piggly Wiggly (1st) to Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, & the Amazon takeover of Whole foods. It looks at the supply chain for groceries from slave labor in the shrimp & fish industry, chicken, cattle & hog supply and the truck drivers delivering the supplies. Also looks at how supermarkets are managed. ****
Hunt, Gather, Parent – Michaeleen Doucleff, PHD. The author spent months living with primitive people in Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and Africa. She had her daughter who was 2.5 to 3.5 years old with her. She documents how completely different people raised their children very successfully. She adopted their methods, changing her daughter’s behavior to the better. Recommended reading for any expectant or new parents & anyone interested in a better way to raise children. *****
Hype – Gabriele Bluestone. About Con artists, scammers, & grifters swindling people out of millions of dollars on the internet. Mostly about William (Billy) McFarland & a Fyre Concert to which he sold tickets for millions & never produced, among many other scams. Also stories about many “influencers” with large followings on the Internet scamming people for millions on books or other events or products. **
Mr. Humble & Dr. Butcher – Randy Schillace. About Dr. Robert White, who was a superior brain surgeon discovering new ways to perform brain operations. Most amazing was attaching the head of a living monkey to the body of another living monkey! This is a very technical medical book, contains many different medical procedures by other doctors also. ****
Unmasked – Andy Ngo. The author is the son of Vietnamese immigrants who covered the riots by BLM & Antifa. He was beaten up by an Antifa mob in Portland, Oregon in 2019 & became a target for abuse by them, often having death threats posted on Internet sites & spray painted on buildings. He gives many examples of their violence & criminal acts which are seldom prosecuted. *****
American Serial Killers – Peter Vronsky. This is a detailed & lengthy history of serial killers, from 1900 to today. He concentrates mostly on the years 1950 to 2000. Some of the famous ones covered in the news were: Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, David Berkowitz, Richard Ramirez, Henry Lee Lucas, Charles Manson, Jerry Brudos, Edmund Kemper, Randy Kraft, Leonard Lake, Angelo Buono, Charles Ng, Ed Gein, Albert Desalvo, Albert Fish & many others. **
Family-friendly daytime event happens on October 23rd
South Cape businesses are getting in the Halloween spirit, gearing up for an afternoon of costumed kids!
The South Cape Business Trick-or-Treat and Halloween Fall Festival will take place from noon to 4 pm on Saturday, October 23rd. Hosted by the South Cape Hospitality & Entertainment Associations (SCHEA), this free event was created to provide a fun and safe way for kids to celebrate Halloween weekend.
“We wanted to bring Halloween and Fall festivities to the downtown entertainment district,” says SCHEA Board Member, Alison Polo. “Why not offer a day where kids can wear their costumes to businesses and host a small interactive festival? It’s a great way for families to spend the day together and promote local businesses.”
More than 20 businesses have pledged to be open, handing out candy to costumed children. There will be a designated area for the Halloween Fall Festival that will include Brookes Nugget Wagon food truck, fire truck and vendors with kid-friendly activities.
SCHEA will also be providing transportation via limo bus, sponsored by Zak’s Jewelry.
“On the day of the event, businesses will have designated window signage, so it will be easy to spot who is participating,” explains Polo.
The South Cape Business Trick-or-Treat is just one of the daytime events SCHEA runs during the fall. The organization also hosts the annual Gift or Treat & Easter Egg Hunt.
“South Cape has a lot to offer,” says Polo. “Most of the hundreds of businesses here are locally owned and help build the local economy.”
This weekend, the seventh annual Island Hopper Songwriter Fest kicks off in the tropical setting of Captiva Island, Sept. 17-19.
Then it moves to historic downtown Fort Myers, Sept. 20-23, and wraps up on Fort Myers Beach, Sept. 24-26.
Island Hopper is the largest songwriter fest in Southwest Florida and offers a unique experience to interact with songwriters. This year, nearly 80 singer-songwriters from around the country will perform more than 100 shows.
This year’s lineup includes:
Hit-making headliners: Florida native, Michael Ray joins Island Hopper Songwriter Fest with three No. 1 songs, including “Kiss You in the Morning,” “Think a Little Less” and “One That Got Away.” He performs at Pinchers at The Marina at Edison Ford in downtown Fort Myers on Sept. 23
Singer-songwriter, author and winner of this year’s Academy of Country Music Award for New Male Artist of the Year, Jimmie Allen, will perform at Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina on the final night of the festival, Sept. 26. Allen made history as the first Black artist to launch a career with two consecutive No. 1 songs on country radio with his hits, “Best Shot” and his second single, “Make Me Want To.” Allen is also slated to appear on this season of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.”
Tickets for both shows are available on the Island Hopper app and website. Tickets are limited.
Island Hopper app: While most of the festival performances are free, a few exclusive ticketed shows are available on the official festival app under the schedule tab. You can download the app in the App Store or on Google Play free of charge.
Island Hopper’s a winner: The 2019 Island Hopper Fest received four SunSational Awards through the Florida Festival & Events Association and the Southeast Tourism Society named Island Hopper one of its Top 20 events.
Island Hopper is produced by the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, iHeartMedia, Cat Country 107.1 and BMI, the largest music rights organization in the U.S. Visit IslandHopperFest.com. Follow the festival hashtag #islandhopperfest as well as the event’s Twitter, Instagram and Facebook feeds.
1. Clanlands – Sam Heughan & Graham McTavish. 2 Famous actors in theater, TV & stage, write about the adventures filming the popular TV series Clanland based in Scotland. Many stories involve their love of alcohol. They have sold a new version called “Men wearing Kilts” to the STARZ network. This is a fun read. ***
2. How To Destroy America In Three Easy Lessons – Ben Shapiro.This is a very dry read that will put you to sleep. However, it is a political assessment of things that are happening in government. ***
3. Hell in The Heartland – Jax Miller. A twisting, convoluted story about murders & 2 missing 16-year-old girls in Oklahoma by this female author investigating them for 18 years. Methamphetamine drug trade & manufacture, comprised law enforcement all played a part in the difficulty of getting any resolution for 18 years. ****
4. Why Did I Come In This Room? – Joan Lunden.A book about aging with advice, humor, & stories. Lot’s of advice about health issues, social issues & how to live healthy & happy. ****
5. Inside Trump’s White House – Doug Wead. This book was written in 2019 before Trump’ run for a 2nd term. It is a good read about the Trump family from an inside source. ***
6. The Cost – Maria Bartiromo.This book was written before the 2020 election. She covers economics in detail, covering most of the things Trump did during his term. She also covers politics & all the dirty tricks the Democrats used to slander Trump. ****
7. The Stupidity Of War – John Mueller. He is against having a large standing army, believing we should just have a limited # of special forces. He lives in a different world & preaches that everything will be OK without a large military & becoming less active throughout the world using our influence.**
8. A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence – Michael Woolridge. This is a mind-numbing read. Many references to Alan Turing who was instrumental to the opening study of artificial intelligence in 1935! It covers many different disciplines including philosophy, psychology, economics, cognitive science, & robotics. Real artificial intelligence still seems to be in the distant future. **
9. The Devil You Know – Charles M. Blow. (A black power manifesto) He reviews black history in the U.S., the many faults that have been suffered by Blacks. He closes the book by encouraging blacks to move to the South, believing they get treated better there than in the North or West & have better opportunities to be successful there. **
10. An Anatomy of Pain – Dr. Abdul-Ghaaliq Lalkhen.This is a very technical, medical read about treatments for pain. He gives many details about various treatments for pain, electrical stimulation, chemicals (meds), exercise, & diet. **
